On Wednesday 15 April, the European Health Ministers held an informal high-level videoconference to discuss the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and a possible relaxation of lockdown measures. This private videoconference was still in progress at press time.
During the meeting, the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, reported on Twitter that she had presented the Commission’s roadmap on lifting lockdown measures to ministers (see other news). “Today, I urged health ministers to continue their coordination and solidarity, the key principles of any [lockdown] exit strategy that will benefit our citizens and economies”, she said, adding that the road ahead will be “long and gradual”.
The videoconference, organised by the Presidency of the Council of the EU, was in addition to the meetings organised twice weekly by the European Commission (which are increasingly deserted at ministerial level). In particular, the Twenty-Seven were invited to comment on the capacity levels of their national health systems, to share best practices to avoid overwhelming health systems, to specify the conditions necessary for considering a relaxation of lockdown measures, and to comment on the most important tools for managing a gradual phase-out of lockdown measures.
Medical devices: modification on track
The Commissioner for Health also welcomed the fact that the Commission’s proposal to postpone the entry into force of the new rules for medical devices for one year is well under way (see EUROPE 12461/8). The Member States’ ambassadors approved the text on 8 April in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper), and the European Parliament is preparing to define its position in plenary session on 17 April. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)